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What's Your Personal Grail Guitar?


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                                                          John Mclaughlin's Rex Bogue "Double Rainbow"...................... love to have it. It IS out there and owned by someone despite what you may have heard to the contrary..................that it was ruined and unrepairable,destroyed by the insurance company, sold off as parts ,..................whatever. IT WAS repaired and it played just fine and was later put up for auction and sold by Christie's in the UK. I have a original copy of the auction book listing it and the lot number. Wonder where it is?.................regardless I would love to even see it. mDDsDOt.jpg

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Hmm... if I could build it... it would be a single cut, some light colored burst, wicked maple top over beautifully grainy hog, chambered.. some day.

While I'm dreaming...Pete Townsend's SG Special and Ace's LP from the Kiss Alive cover.  A little closer to home, my old Talladega, a Newport with a chunky neck, and a Korina Vector. And for an acoustic, how about that EC model Martin.

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You thought your inlays and perfling were nice?  HAH! 

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I started with lute lessons near 25 years ago, and didn't make much progress with it, but some day will get my own lute or baroque guitar.  (a modern reproduction, of course)  Added baroque guitar example below in response to "confused" faces people are making

 

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This -
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F-Bass AC-5. Designed by Alain Caron, formerly of UZEB, and one of the best bassists around.
I've played one. You cannot sound bad on it, no matter your skill level.
This particular example may have the MIDI pickup in it; even better!

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15 hours ago, diablo175 said:

Bitter pill but once I accepted that no amount of $$ spent on a guitar is gonna somehow make up for my abysmal lack of talent, I found I didn't have a holy grail ax. Lots of eye candy but no "must have" axes.

This. The only thing that interests me are guitars that look really "pretty," but none interest me for better sound or playability than what I already own. 

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Holy Grail guitars...

Often the reality never meets the expectation. 

Many of my current Hamer's are awesome.  Really awesome.  A few are truly special.  Do I have a Holy Grail guitar?  No.  It's more a case of desire over necessity these days.  

The one I looked forward to most was definitely my Shishkov Super-C.  The first of its kind.  I really felt part of the process in its development  as a concept and the reality, when I first saw it in person and played it, exceeded expectations.  

 

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A Standard Custom.  Should have snagged one back when you could buy them all day on ebay for $1000 - $1200...

 

As far as basses, that grail sailed.  Had a Standard bass sold out from under me for something like $600 at a show back around 1997 or so.  Back then, I wasn't even fully aware of what it was, but I was sick about it.  Tried to find it numerous times over the years, before it finally surfaced about 40 miles from me for $1200 through a post on this board a couple of years ago.  Someone beat me to it, and immediately flipped it on ebay for $600 or so more than he paid for it; the ebay winner then immediately stuck it back on ebay for almost twice what he paid for it.   I'd still like to have it, but not enough to pay a $3000 premium for it - LOL!   

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8 minutes ago, Ed Rechts said:

@Cary You've been known to get a little lucky on "lost" grails, especially around the holidays...

True, I remembered that right after I posted...  For years, my grail was an FBIV.  One finally showed up on ebay, but "Ed Rechts" beat me out (still can't believe no one else was bidding on it).  I emailed him after the auction and told him congrats, let me know if he ever wanted to sell it.  He said he would.  We struck up a friendship (that included such craziness as having a couple beers in Ocean City MD, and then him asking me if his Impala SS was as fast as my Corvette as he handed me the keys...  Spoiler alert - It was).  Fast forward a few years, and on Christmas morning one year, my wife told me she almost forgot one of my gifts, and proceeds to bring a Thunderbird case in from the other room.  I opened it, and there was the FBIV.  I was speechless (first time, I think).  Jay had sent an email asking if I still wanted to buy it, and my wife had intercepted the email (we shared an account at the time) and bought it from him for me.  For exactly what he paid for it.  And if I remember correctly, he didn't even have the check in hand before he sent the bass.

So yeah, I've gotten lucky on at least one of my grails...  LOL!

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I think i've hit most of my "glory days" "wish i had" "mid-life crisis" guitars.  Two that i never got were:

* An original Jackson Kelly - Played one in '84 in Chicago and loved it, but it had a Kahler - i wanted a Floyd.  Store said they could do it as the guitars were made to order.  I came back a few weeks later, and Jackson had taken off as a brand - price went way out of my reach.  They soon after stopped making the guitar with the cutouts.  Of course at this point in my life, that guitar would be *way* out of place on me, even if i could find one with a Floyd. 

* A Brian Moore MC1 - Not really sure why i want one, just do, or at least did.  The fact that the necks are so thin really rules out this guitar for me at this point.

At any rate, at this point, i am really content with what i've got.  I have no complaints.

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- Elliott Easton Gretsch Duo Jet in Cadillac Green (Close second is the new series Players Edition Jet BT in Cadillac Green)

Used to be the regular Duo Jet in Cadillac Green, but then I played one. ;) 

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Right now I would have to say that a Korina Standard from the '95 run is on my Grail list. I have most of what I really need/want but always on the search for SG's, V's, and Standards/Explorers. The '95 Korina Standard would be on the top of the list. Would like to find a white '70's Gibson Flying V. They are a bit pricey these days though. I've always wanted an 80's Vector too. Kind of bummed that the '82 sunburst Vector sold on E Bay. Was going to pull the trigger on that and missed out. Same goes for the natural Standard that just sold. Gotta say if a natural flametop Standard with ebony fretboard ever showed up, that would be mandatory.  So many cool guitars but of the guitars I've owned, I've learned that those are my shapes. Then again when you see something that grabs you, that becomes the Grail guitar I guess.

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8 hours ago, Ed Rechts said:

Another aspect of this acquisition story is that, I had been watching an auction end for a Standard Custom (MY grail, then) that I lost in the last minute that night (I remember it was a Thursday around 630 pm), and then frustrated, I just bid on that FBIV which was next in the queue ( I think from the same seller).

Turdus won that Standard Custom....and we didn't know each other at the time yet, either.

Such is the small world of the HFC.

It pays to be nice....(lol) Cary, your email to me following that auction was great, I know we hit it off right away. It was always headed your way, as soon as I got those Gibson Tbirds to gig with.

I remember meeting up in my parking lot at work in Chantilly with a 59 Burst Standard (maybe dots?), and there was also a black Standard with Tom Dumont''s signature in paint pen...that was ultimately removed.

I can't believe how cheap those things sold for back then...great times!

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I have a weird one, now that I think about it.

I've been lucky in that, with the help of this group in a lot of cases, I've gotten to play a lot of my "holy grails."  SInce finding this place, I've owned a Hamer studio, diablo, special, Cali elite, korina standard, superpro, and Talladega.  In face, just looking at that list, I'm actually surprised I can say I've had these in my possession.  They were all great, but the Talladega was my favorite by a large margin.  Those are special guitars.  If I ever own another Hamer, that would be the odds on favorite. 

That being said, my holy grail guitar would just be having the butterscotch blackguard G&L ASAT that I had two years ago back.  That was to most rock and roll playing guitar I've ever owned, and it was so much fun to play.  Plus, it was something like $650, so I didn't feel like I was gigging with an investment instrument.  I'd love to have that one back.  And I do miss the Dega a little too, but the Shishkov helps with that.  

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This Huber Korina Special currently in the For Sale section,,, Huber magic with the dual P90s I've been looking for :wub:. If I hadn't just spent a boatload of money on tools, guitars, furniture and recording gear it would be mine already! If it's still there in a month when I get my next free paycheck it just might be mine after all. :)

 

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10 hours ago, cmatthes said:

I remember meeting up in my parking lot at work in Chantilly with a 59 Burst Standard (maybe dots?), and there was also a black Standard with Tom Dumont''s signature in paint pen...that was ultimately removed.

I can't believe how cheap those things sold for back then...great times!

The FBIV had been signed all across the front by the members of Cheap Trick.  As much as I love Cheap Trick, I'm glad Jay removed the sigs. 

 

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18 hours ago, gtrdaddy said:

.....and made their way to farmland in Wisconsin to bury the Grail,.....

Yeah, with my luck it's probably under my house.

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I was lucky enough to buy my “grail” guitar with the help of 0054 here on the board.  My ‘64 SG Jr.  Wanted an SG Jr since I was a kid.  Used ones were plentiful back then in Bernie’s pawn shop in Dayton, Ohio and they were inexpensive.  I wanted a pre-‘65 one because sometime in ‘65 Gibson narrowed the nut.  Also wanted one without the trem. The planets aligned and I scored one with Rodi’s help last year.  Not a grail guitar but I’d like to get another 50’s ES 225T.   Goofy trapeze tailpiece and all.   I bought one for 100 bucks with my paper route money when I was a kid.  Not a rock guitar but I’d like to have another one.  People are asking way too much for them now.  Other than that, I’m happy with what I have.

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